Mechanical toy.



W. S. AUSTIN.

MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1911.

1,287,608. Patented Dec.17, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I W. S. AUSTIN.

MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11.191].

1,287,608. Patented Dec. 17, 191 8.

(J 2 SHEETS-QSHEET 2.

WALTER s. AUSTIN; or PITTSBURGH, rnnnsrrvanra.

MEGI-EANICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, 17, 1918.

Application filed July 17, 1917. Serial No. 181,010.

To all whom it-may concern:

Be it known that I, /VALTER S. AUsTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification. 4

My invention relates to mechanical toys, and particularly to automatic toys of the gravity operated type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a mechanical toy of the type specifled which has its operation stimulated by the use of marbles as the, operating medium, thereby being more cleanly than similar gravity operated devices now on the market.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a toy of the character described, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, positive in its operation, strong, durable and efiicient in its use and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accomplishment of these and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying; drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mechanical toy, illustrating the hoist or cage in loading position, and showing in dotted lines the position of the cage and counterweight when discharging the operating medium.

Fig. 2 is a perspectivefview of the hoist or cage.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the counterweight.

Fig. 4 is a developed view of the clasping and attaching arrangement of the counterweight, showing the blank therefor in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the connection of thestrut with the runway.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the connection of the standard with'the runway.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the operating lever. I

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the operating lever. I

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the connection of the base with the standard.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the connection of the strut with the standard.

Referring more in detail to the drawings,

my improved mechanical gravity toy comprises a suitable framing consisting of the base 1, the standard 2, the runway 3 and the strut 4:. The standard 2, runway 3 and strut i are constructed from sheet metal and channel shaped in form. The base 1 consists of an ordinary heavy wire, bent to form a circle, having its ends and 6 bent upwardly at right angles with respect to the base proper. This type of base is provided to keep the operating medium, marbles 7, from rolling promiscuous-1y around the floor or table upon which the device is operated, and within the area encompassed by the circular wire base.

The base 1 is detachably secured to the lower portion, of the standard 2 by means of the clip 8 as illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The clip 8 is formed so as to engage the upturned ends 5 and 6, of the base 1, and permit the removal of the said base when desired for the purpose of shipment, storage, etc.

The diagonal strut i, at its lower end, is rigidly connected to the standard 2 by means of the'upper lug 9 and the lower lug 10, of

the clip 8. Portions of the flanges 11, of the strut 4, having been removed..the web 12 is formed to lie flatlv against the web 13. of the standard 2, with the lower ends thereof. flush. The webs, 12. and 13 are provided with the aperture 14 for the passage of the upper lug 9. and the lower ends of the said webs being flush. the, said lugs are simply bent over upon the web 12 of the strut, thereby securing in position the strut l, the standard 2 and the clip 8, as shown in Fig. 10, of the drawings.

The flanges 11 at the upper end of the strut 4L, the flanges 15 at the rear end of the runway 3, and the flanges 14 at the upper end of the standard 2, extend beyond their respective web portions 12, 13 and 16 for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.

For the purpose of connecting the runway 3 to the standard 2, and to prevent anyvertical or lateral movement thereof, the BX- tending flanges 15 of the runway 3 are seing member 32. are

- curely clamped, in the open slots 17 and 18,

around the extending flanges 14 of the standard 2.

The front portion of the runway 3 is similarly attached to the diagonal strut 4. As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, open slots 1.9 and are also provided in the flanges ll of the strut 4, and only portions of the flanges 15 are clamped in the said slots around the flanges 11.

The flanges 14, of the standard 2, adjacent their upper ends, carry the connected pulleys 21, which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 22. Pulleys 23 and 24 are mounted on the shaft 25 on the outer sides of and adjacent the upper ends of the flanges 11,

of the strut 4.

The counterweight 26 comprises the weight 27 preferably a marble, around which is bent the clasping member 32, having portions 28 and 29 thereof bent around the weight 27 at right angles with respect to the main portion of the said clasping member. Apertures 30 and 31, in the claspprovided for attaching thereto-the cord 33.

The operating lever 34 is pivotally mount ed. in the flanges 11 of the strut 4, by means of the shaft 35 which passes through the apertured ears 36 of the said lever. A dependent check 45 is formed by the rear end of the operating lever for the purpose of holding the marbles upon the runway 3, while the marble until now eiigaged by the under surface of the downwardly depending curvature 43, of the operating rod, is being delivered tothe'cage 37 in a manner hereinafter, described.

The hoist or cage 37 is formed with the arms38and 39 which are connected by the operatingrod 40adapted toengage and actuate the operating lever 34 during the upward and downward. movement of the cage. The cage 37 is attached to the cord 33 through the apertures 41 and 42 in the arms 38 and 39 respectively, and is so hung asto slightlyover-balance to retain the operating marble as it rests against the stop 44 of the cage 7..

The runway 3 isconnected to the standard2 and toithe-strut 4in a slightly inclined or sloped position so as to permit the marbles-7 tolroll by gravity toward the operating lever 34. V

'A stop 43, formed by a rear upturned portion ofthe web 16, isprovided to prevent any of the marbles 7 from leaving the runway 3 in that direction.

The operation of the: device is as follows:

The cords 33 areattached to thecounterweight 32 in the apertures 30 and 31, and passover-the pulleys 21. over pulleys23 and 24,, and. are then attached in the apertures 41 and 42'to the cage or hoist 37 Assuming that the cage 37 is in the position the stop 44, and slightly over-balance the said cage so that the marble will not roll oil. The combined weight of the marbleaud the cage being greater than the weight of the counterweight 26, the said marble and cage will descend. When the operating rod 40 is actuating the operating lever 34' on its upward course to release the marble, the check 45, of the said lever, will engage the marble next in line and hold same until the cage begins to descend, when the lever 34 drops and causes the check 45 to release the marble next in line to be held by the curved portion 43 of the lever 34, until the said lever is again actuated by the-rod 40upon the upward course of the cage' 37.

The cage 37 upon its lower. edge, is provided with the boss 46, whichwill, causethe cage to tilt forward and discharge themarblewithin the area of the circular basel.

After the marble 7 has been discharged the counterweight 26will again elevatethe now empty cage 37 and the operationherein described will be automatically repeated as long as there are any marbles upon the runway 3.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the constructiouand the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while describing the principle of operation of the inven tion together with the device whichv isnow considered to bethe best embodiment thereof. it is to be understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and. that various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing'irom the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toy. a runway constructedto support a plurality of marbles in alinement, a cage mounted for vertical movement, and a lever having a portion arranged to be-struck by the cage when the latter reaches a predetermined position and' the remaining portion curved to form a pocket for the recep tion of a single marble and having a depending tongue for holding back all of the marbles with the exception of the one that is passing onto the cage.

;, downward movement of the cage and fur- 2. A toy comprising a frame, a runway for the frame supporting a plurality of marbles, a cage mounted for Vertical movements and constructed to support a marble in the and means for raising the cage after the same has been freed of the marble carried thereby, substantially as describedand set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER S. AUSTIN.

ther provided With a lug to strike the ground when the cage is in its lowermost position for tilting the same in a direction to allow the marble to pass from the cage, a lever arranged to be operated by the cage for passing the marbles one at a time onto the cage,

Witnesses:

JENNIE JONES, R. CLEMENT WEBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

